Houdini Theory: Boston Celtics are gearing up for deadline splash

ByNick Swanson|
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 30: Kemba Walker #8 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at TD Garden on January 30, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Lakers defeat the Celtics 96-95. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 30: Kemba Walker #8 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at TD Garden on January 30, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Lakers defeat the Celtics 96-95. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

I’m sure there are some Boston Celtics fans who are tired of hearing that Kemba Walker should be traded, and I completely understand that. Having said that, what has happened over the last couple of days really solidifies that theory for me.

It all started recently when we saw Chris Forsberg, from NBC Sports Boston, tweet out that Cs center Tristan Thompson was going to miss Tuesday’s game against the Utah Jazz due to “health and safety protocols”, which directly followed reports that the Cs could be interested in trading the veteran.

In this day and age, it’s no surprise that a player may have come in contact with someone with the virus. Then, I got to thinking on a little conspiracy theory of my own: what if the Cs were, and currently still are, in trade discussions centered around the big man?

Could the Boston Celtics be gearing up for a big deadline splash?

But wait, it gets better!

We then get another tweet from Forsberg, not even a full 24 hours later, saying that Kemba Walker is out for the second game of their back-to-back.

We’ve seen it before and we’ll see it again — players sitting out for “load management” or because they’re “sick” while the team is actively trying to trade them is not uncommon, especially in the NBA.

You also see instances like with Harrison Barnes where you get traded mid-game whilst actually playing.

Romeo Langford has also been out for a couple of days and he’s been the subject of trade talks for what seems like forever. He definitely seems the most likely to be traded, whether that’s now or in the offseason.

With the March 25th Trade Deadline rapidly approaching, it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see any of these three Boston Celtics players, along with a couple of other guys on the roster, moved.

This early, there’s no way to tell if, assuming they all get traded, it will be in multiple deals or one massive trade package to land a third young star to run alongside Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.